This highly aquatic snake is found in wet meadows, riparian areas, marshes, and moist forests near rivers, streams, lakes and ponds. It requires streams with thick riparian vegetation for escape and exposed boulders for basking.

The Pacific coast aquatic garter snake takes aquatic prey such as small fish and fish eggs, salamanders, tadpoles, frogs, toads, earthworms, and leeches.

Photo by Simon Wray, ODFW